Turkish authorities release family of Russian envoy killer - CNN Turk

Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov lies on the ground after he was shot by unidentified man at an art gallery in Ankara, Turkey, December 19, 2016. Hasim Kilic/Hurriyet via REUTERS

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have released the relatives of the off-duty policeman who gunned down the Russian envoy to Ankara three days ago, CNN Turk reported on Thursday.

Authorities detained for questioning the mother, father, sister and two other relatives of Mevlut Mert Altintas, Turkish security sources told Reuters this week, after the 22-year-old policeman shot and killed the envoy on Monday.

Altintas shouted “Don’t forget Aleppo” and “Allahu Akbar” - Arabic for “God is greatest” - as he fired the shots.

Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Paul Tait